Toothpick dispenser



Aug. 20, 1940. A. A. IVANOFF TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Filed Feb. 27, 1940 W G W M a y v i I r 4 A R E X H 1 M .1 A 4 a 5 18 3 H58 a WU H INVENTOR.

BY Qvh' fl mm Patented Aug. 20, 1940 V UNITED STATES PATENT-I orrlcs TOOTHPICK DISPENSER Alexander A. Ivanofif, Farmingdale, N. Y. Application February 27, 1940, Serial No. 321,018

4 Claims. (01. 312 -79) p cover 3. A pocket ordepression I2 is provided a My invention relates to toothpick dispensing devices and has particular reference to devices in the form of portable containers adapted to deliver one or more toothpicks as required.

- Ordinary toothpick containers are not sanitary, the toothpicks being at all times exposed, gathering dust, and several toothpicks must be necessarily touched by a hand when taking out one toothpick out of their stack. My invention has for its object therefore to provide a toothpick dispenser in the form of a closed container in which the toothpicks are protected from dust, an arrangement being provided for removing one or more toothpicks without manually touching the others.

Another object of my invention is to provide the container of my dispenser with a removable cover which is adapted to be raised by a toothpick when the latter is being removed, the cover clamping the toothpick against the edge of the container until the toothpick is taken out.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a dispenser in the form of a container of an ornamental shape with a supporting stem and base, which can be easily and conveniently handled and placed on a table with other table accessories.

My invention is more fully explained in the accompanying specification and drawing in which Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of my dispenser with its cover closed.

Fig. 2 is a similar View with one toothpick removed and held by the cover.

Fig. 3 is a fractional detail view of a delivering plunger.

Fig. 4 is a top view of the same.

Fig. 5 is a top view of a modified plunger.

Fig. 6 is a top view of another modification of the plunger. 1

My toothpick dispensing device consists of a tubular container I with a conical bottom 2 converging to a low point at the center. A cover 3 is provided in the form of an inverted cone resting on the upper edge of the container. The container is supported on an elongated stem 4 with a disc-shaped foot or base 5. The stem has a central bore 6 with a shoulder I at the top where a second bore of a reduced diameter is provided extending into the container. A plunger 8 is slidably fitted in the reduced bore and has an enlarged bottom portion 9 slidably fitted in the main bore 6. A relatively thin rod 1 l extends from the upper end of the plunger and slidably passes through a corresponding aperture in the at the junction'of'the plunger with the rod ll adapted to support the lower end of a toothpick 53, the outer ends of the toothpicks resting against the inside walls of .the container. A handle it is provided at the upper end of the rod H for raising the rod with the plunger. The plunger in its position at rest is supported on the same surface on which rests the base of the container, the handle 14 supporting the plunger when the container is being raised or carried. The plunger is of such length that the pocket l2 receives a toothpick sliding along the converging bottom 2 into the lowest point in the center and falling into the pocket l2. The plunger therefore is always ready to raise at least one toothpick, if the plunger has a single pocket l2 as shown in Fig.5. It may also have two or more pockets I4, I4 as shown in Fig. 6, or a single annular pocket l5 may be provided as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

My toothpick dispenser has an important advantage in that it is sanitary, the toothpicks being always enclosed in a dust-proof container; it is easy to handle, a single movement of the handle bringing out one or more toothpicks, which are then held by the cover, ready to be taken out. No toothpicks are touched by the hands except those which are taken out.

I claim as my invention:

1. A toothpick dispensing device comprising a container having a bottom converging to a low central point, a stem with a base supporting the container and having a cylindrical bore, a plunger slidably fitted in the bore, a rod extending upward from the upper end of the plunger, a cover for the container with a hole for the rod, a

handle on the upper end of the rod, the plunger having a pocket at the junction with the rod for the lower end of a toothpick, the upper end of the plunger normally remaining at the low point of the bottom of the container so as to enable the toothpicks to slide into the pocket, the plunger when raised by the handle being adapted to lift the toothpick, the cover being adapted to be raised by the toothpick sliding 'along the side of the container and being adapted to clamp by its weight the toothpick against the upper edge of the container when the handle is released thereby leaving the toothpick in position to be removed.

2. A toothpick dispensing device comprising a container having a bottom converging toward a central low point, a stem with a base supporting the container and having a cylindrical bore, a

plunger slidably fitted in the bore, a rod extending upward from the plunger, a cover for the container with a hole for the rod} a handle on the upper end of the rod, the plunger having a pocket at the junction with the rod adapted to receive the lower ends of a few toothpicks, the plunger when raised by the handle being adapted to raise at least one toothpick supported by the pocket, the cover being adapted to be raised by the toothpicks and'being adapted to clamp the toothpicks against the edge of the container when the handle is released thereby leaving the toothpicks in position to be removed, and means to limit the upward movement of the plunger.

3. A toothpick dispensing device comprising a tubular container having a bottom converging to a low point, a narrow stem with a base supporting the container and having a cylindrical bore, a shoulder at the upper end of the bore forming a smaller bore extending into the container, a plungerslidably fitted by its main portion in the smaller bore, an enlarged portion at thelower end of the plunger slidably fitted in the main bore, the shoulder limiting the upward movement of the plunger, a thin rod extending from the upper end of the plunger, the plunger having a pocket at the junction with the rod for the lower end of a toothpick, a cover removably placed on top of the container and having a hole for the rod, a handle on the end of the rod above the cover, the plunger being adapted to raise a toothpick when the handle is raised, the cover being adapted to be lifted at one end by a toothpick being raised and being adapted to clamp the toothpick against the edge of the container when the handle is released thereby leaving the toothpick in position to be removed.

4. A toothpick dispensing device comprising a tubular container having a bottom converging to a low central point, a narrow stem with a base supporting the container and having a cylindrical bore, a plunger slidably fitted in the bore, a cover removably placed on the container and having the shape of an inverted cone, a rod extending from the plunger and passing through a hole in the cover, the upper end of the plunger having a pocket for the lower end of a toothpick, the plunger with the toothpick being adapted to be manually raised by the upper end of the rod thereby causing the cover to be raised by the upper end of the toothpick, the cover being adapted to clamp the toothpick against the edge of the container when the rod is released thereby leaving the toothpick in position to be removed.

ALEXANDER A. IVAN OFF. 

